Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A barricade or obstruction across a road set up to prevent the escape or passage, as of a fugitive or enemy troops.
  • noun An obstruction in a road, as fallen rocks or trees.
  • noun Something, such as a situation or condition, that prevents further progress toward an accomplishment.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun Something that blocks or obstructs a road.
  • noun An obstacle or impediment.
  • verb colloquial To prevent, hinder.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun any condition that makes it difficult to make progress or to achieve an objective
  • noun a barrier set up by police to stop traffic on a street or road in order to catch a fugitive or inspect traffic etc.

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From road + block.

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Examples

Comments

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  • "An advertising roadblock is a media planning strategy where all networks air the same ad at the same time. No member of the audience one can get through without seeing the ad."

    - Audience Analytics

    October 17, 2007

  • When has this happened? Would be rather Twilight Zone-ish to be flipping through the channels and keep seeing the same thing... even if it is just trying to get you to buy a Nissan Rogue.

    October 17, 2007

  • I swear I've seen it, though.

    October 17, 2007

  • Thank god for DVR. Also, for the bathroom, which means I can ignore the bastards who somehow think I'm held captive to their insipid mind-numbing crapmercials.

    October 17, 2007

  • I don't have a DVR, but I was cursing the CW last night for having commercials that were too short! I barely got my pants down in the bathroom before I heard the theme music come back on and CRAP I WAS MISSING FAMILY GUY!! Wait, what did I just confess to?

    October 17, 2007

  • *looks away*

    October 17, 2007